A majority of the 100-odd hard coke factories of the district have not been able to resume operations due to a host of reasons primarily centred around lack of demand due to a sluggish economy, inadequate workforce and poor quality raw materials in the form of coal supplied by Bharat Coking Coal (BCCL).

Only around 30 of 100 factories have so far resumed operations after closing down since the imposition of the nationwide lockdown in March.

Rajeev Sharma, general secretary of Jharkhand Industries and Trade Association, an umbrella organisation of industries based in Dhanbad, Giridih and Koderma, explained their plight. “It is a general rule for any supplier to keep in mind the requirement of buyers. But hard coke factory owners, who buy from BCCL, are in a terrible state since they are being provided with non-coking coal which is of no use to them,” he said.

“Non-coking coal creates problems while making hard coke,” explained Sharma, adding that they had raised the issue, time and again, with BCCL authorities, but to no avail.

He alleged that the marketing division of the PSU was ineffective as a little value addition, by washing the coal, could help the company fetch rates higher than the auction price.

“It is ironic that despite being in Dhanbad, the workplace of BCCL, which is the largest producer of coking coal in India, hard coke factories here are facing such a crisis. Their counterparts in Gujarat are doing brisk business with imported coal,” Sharma said.

B.N. Singh, the president of Industries and Commerce Association that represents over 150 hard coke factories of Dhanbad, Giridih and Koderma, said there was no way a factory could operate fully in view of the lack of raw materials.

The Telegraph Online made multiple efforts to contact the CMD of BCCL, Gopal Singh, and BCCL director (technical) Rakesh Kumar for their comments. Their views will be added as and when they respond.